Beyond The Mountains

Chapter 12: Thrasherpaw

Thrasherpaw followed Larkpaw's eyes, she gazed along the trunk of the tree until claw marks had caught her attention. She opened her mouth, whatever made these marks had done it a long time ago. She couldn't smell anything though it definitely looked like a cat made it, many cats in fact. She walked along the side of the tree, who ever crossed it, didn't cross back, either they had gone further away or.. The thought that the cat-- or cats had lost their balance unsettled her. 

She followed the river, it was definitely too wide for a normal cat to swim to the shore, unless they were Riverclan. Thrasherpaw thought. Larkpaw did say a Riverclan cat went on the journey. "Thrasherpaw come on! We're crossing!" Larkpaw's excited mew snapped her out of thought, Snowpaw was gazing at her impatiently through narrowed eyes. Thrasherpaw returned her glare with an equally ferocious one. The white she-cat let out a huff of disgust at turned her attention to the tree. "I can go first." Larkpaw offered softly, kindness and sympathy shone in his eyes, he had obviously remembered what happened last time Snowpaw had gone first. Snowpaw's excitement faded from her eyes and she looked down at her paws and nodded slowly, for a heartbeat Thrasherpaw felt a tug of sympathy for the beautiful she-cat. "We'll cross together." Thrasherpaw felt herself say, both apprenticed looked at each other and then nodded determinedly. Thrasherpaw hopped onto the tree first, noticing the other two cats' hesitation, Snowpaw followed her and then Larkpaw steadily climbed on. It had been harder than expected, the push and pull of the river kept shaking the tree back and forth. Thunderclan cats deal with this every gathering. She remembered seeing the tree bridge near fourtrees, Thrasherpaw looked back to see how Larkpaw was dealing, surely he was have the most experience? Larkpaw was the furthest behind, he seemed to freeze every time the the gave even the slightest shiver. Thrasherpaw smiled softly at him, he caught her gaze and returned the half smile. Thrasherpaw looked forward and down at her paws. There was a shiver, a large one, her stomach did a twist, the branches before her were starting to give away, the front of the tree shuddered and the wet earth below the tree's branches fell into the rough river and disappeared under the water's surface followed by the branches, Thrasherpaw looked back just as the tree's top dipped down once more, submerging it so only some branches stuck out like brown reeds. There was a loud shriek.

 Thrasherpaw saw a flash of white and then a gurgling noise. Larkpaw said something she couldn't hear as she sped past him, her heart racing. Everything had become so loud all of a sudden, she  edged forward trying to find anything that told her Snowpaw was alright. Then a soaked head appeared over the water, Snowpaw's eyes caught her and Thrasherpaw let out a shallow sob at the amount of fear that flooded her eyes. "Snowpaw!" She screeched and held out her paws, Snowpaw blinked the water and tears out her eyes and made a last attempt, their paws brushed against one another, but another surge of water tore them apart. Tears fell from Thrasherpaw's eyes as Snowpaw was dragged further and further away, the smaller her white head got the further Thrasherpaw felt a part of her being ripped away from her. The smallest touch from Snowpaw's paw still tingled on her pawpad.

 Thrasherpaw felt the earth go still around her while tears dripped miserably from her eyes.